Unfortunately, in the mid-1970s, all
Canadians were forced to adopt the metric system whether they
wanted it or not. Canada's First Nations were totally ignored in
the process. At best it was assumed that Canada's aboriginal
people would passivly go along with the idea. As a result we, the
original inhabitants of Canada, are forced to use a system of
measurement developed artificially by Europeans far removed from
our traditional measurements that were based on nature and our
own human experiences. At least the traditional European
"Imperial" measurements previously widely used in
Canada had something in common with our own traditional
measurements: they were directly descended from nature through
the intermediary of the every day experiences of men and women.

What can be done now? Well, I call on my first nations
brothers and sisters across Canada to immediately reject the use
of this measuring system created by European scientists and
forced on us by the Federal Government without asking our opinion
(or, as it happens, the opinions of the rest of Canada's
population). Instead let's use traditional measurements, ours own
where there are not lost or, where necessary, the traditional
measurements that existed before forced metrication.

If you would like to discuss this with me, you can
contact me, Violet, at my e-mail address: